Project Description
THE PROJECT
“The Italians – Street Photography in Italy” is an editorial project of Street Photography produced by ISP – Italian Street Photography is conceived by Angelo Cucchetto and curated by Benedetta Donato.
The experience of the first ISP authorial book, published in 2016, was fundamental for the beginning of a journey that is part of the visual culture of Italian street photography and that could be nourished year after year thanks to the contribution of the new interpretations offered by the affiliated authors .
For the creation of ISP Volume One we started from the theme of the context, not intended as a geographical place, but as a space in which they were identifiable, for the photographer, scenes of everyday life designed to represent particular situations of which the author was free to use.
For The Italians we thought about focusing on people. What happens to people in terms of actions and situations; what Italians as people are carriers of vices, virtues and attitudes.
THE CONCEPT
“Italy is at the same time a sublime, exasperating, fascinating and puzzling country”. In this way John Hooper, a British journalist and writer, correspondent for The Economist and The Guardian in Italy write about our country in his book that has become a best seller and from which we have taken inspiration for the title and the outline.
Contemporary Italy and the character of Italians are told by investigating what lies behind stereotypes. From religion to food, from the ceremonies that mark extraordinary events of existence to daily moments of life marked by small episodes in which people are the leading actors, in this book the Italians appear in all their contradictions, specificities, habits and paradoxes.
The title chosen for the project also recalls one of the foundations of the history of photography and is represented by a huge work called The Americans, shot by Robert Frank. This work, on the other side of the American dream, was showing a different country from the popular idea spread until then and was offering, for the first time, a version of America that no one would have ever expected to see. Far from attempting to replicate such experience, our project, on the other hand, wants to show in an ironic, surreal and paradoxical way the other face of our fellow countryman and all the situations that they put in place or in which they are involved.
Following Hooper’s idea, ISP photographers have been asked to create compelling pictures based on their own interpretation, habits, paradoxes, characteristics, behaviors taken on during the situations in which they were witness.
The scope within which the photographers acted is The Street Photography. Each photographer has produced a set of images that tells different behavioral situations that can be considered characteristics for their uniqueness, peculiarity, irony, ability to arouse wonder and arouse curiosity.
An Italy saw in a different way, focused on people, which has been told through the eyes of photographers that were able to debunk or emphasize all the clichés, habits, characteristics that intrigue and arouse our curiosity.
THE CONTEXT
Situations, scenes from everyday life that represent particular moments which the author is free to enjoy. Streets, courtyards, museums, clubs and public offices, crowded places …
THE PHOTOGRAPHERS
Enrico Barocci
Michele Battilomo
Gustavo Boemi
Adriano Cascio
Ciro Cortellessa
Francesca Fabiano
Lorenzo Fasola
Giorgio Galimberti
Giuseppe Pons
Andrea Scirè
Maurizio Targhetta
THE COVERS
Choose yourself the cover you like most for your book among the 11 selected by each author (check them here below) ?
